0RCS: THE (;QDSWORN
To feel the thunder of orcish war drums outside the gate
and to hear a chorus of voices growling, "Gruumsh!"
is the nightmare of every civilized place in the world.
For no matter how thick its walls, skilled its archers, or
brave its knights, few settlements have ever withstood a
full-scale onslaught of ores.
Every soldier who lives through a fight with ores tells
of confronting a hulking foe that can cleave through a
warrior with a single blow, part of a force that can cut
down enemies as though they were trembling stalks of
wheat before the scythe. Only a skilled and determined
hero can hope to survive single combat with an ore.
Savage and fearless, ore tribes are ever in search of
elves, dwarves, and humans to destroy. Motivated by
their hatred of the civilized races of the world and their
need to satisfy the demands of their deities, the ores
know that if they fight well and bring glory to their tribe,
Gruumsh will call them home to the plane of Acheron. It
is there in the afterlife where the chosen ones will join
Gruumsh and his armies in their endless extraplanar
battle for supremacy.
Gons OF THE 0RCS
Ores believe their gods to be invincible. They see the
principles that define them and their deities at work
every day in the world around them-nature rewards
the strong and mercilessly eliminates the weak and the
infirm. Ores don't revere their gods as much as they fear
them; every tribe has superstitions about how to avert
their wrath or bring their favor. This deep-seated uncer-
tainty and fear comes forth in the form of savagery and
relentlessness, as ores ravage and kill to appease the
gods in order to avoid their terrible retribution.
At the pinnacle of the ore pantheon is Gruumsh One-
Eye, who created the ores and continues to direct their
destiny. He is aided and abetted by the other warrior
deities, Bahgtru and Ilneval, who bring strength and
cunning to the battlefield. The followers of all three gods
are a tribe's raiders and ravagers- often the only part of
an ore tribe that its victims ever see.
Deep within the den of a tribe, far away from the war-
hearth where warriors gather and celebrate, dwell the
followers ofYurtrus, the god of disease and death, and
Shargaas, the god of darkness and the unknown. Ores
too weak for battle (because of bodily weakness, malfor-
mation, injury, or age) often join these cults instead of
facing daily humiliation, exile, or death.
Serving as the bridge between the two parts of the
tribe are the priestesses of Luthic, the ore goddess who
represents both life and the grave. It is her worshipers
that raise young ores to be warriors, and then, at the end
of their lives, take them to Yurtrus and Shargaas to be
carried into death and the great unknown.
GRUUMSH, "HE WHO WATCHES"
Gruumsh, the undisputed ruler of the ore pantheon,
pushes his children to increase their numbers so they
may be his instrument of revenge against the realms of
elves, humans, and dwarves. In order to spite the gods
who spurned him, Gruumsh leads his ores on a mission
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seeks to lay waste to the civilized world and revel in
its anguish.
Ores are naturally chaotic and unorganized, acting on
their emotions and instincts rather than out of reason
and logic. Only certain charismatic ores, those who have
been directly touched by the will and might of Gruumsh,
have the capacity to control the other ores in a tribe.
A Chosen Few. Ores don't become renowned in their
tribes by choosing Gruumsh; he chooses them. An ore
might claim its allegiance to Gruumsh, but only those
who have proven themselves through feats of strength
and ferocity in war are considered worthy of being true
worshipers. Gruumsh singles out these individuals by
bestowing upon each one a powerful dream or vision
that signifies acceptance into his inner circle.
Those who are visited by Gruumsh are transformed
psychologically and often physically by the experience.
Some are driven to the brink of madness, reduced to
muttering about omens and prophecies, while others
become imbued with supernatural power and rise to
positions of leadership.NISHREK AND THE ETERNAL WAR
Ores believe that if they die with honor, their spirits go to
the plane of Acheron, the Infinite Battlefield-specifically
the layer ofNishrek, where they join Gruumsh's army and
fight on his behalf in the endless war against the gobli-
noid followers of Maglubiyet. Gruumsh sees this conflict
as a chance to pit his people against an eager foe and
enable them to prove their worth before their deities. He
relishes every short-term triumph and swears revenge for
every setback.
Luthic, though, takes a longer view. She understands the
cosmic implications of Maglubiyet's attacks. To prevent
the goblinoids from outstripping her people in population,
she urges the ores to have many offspring and teach them
the ways of battle not only for survival in the material
world, but to keep Maglubiyet at bay in the conflict on the
planes. Her children will remain in her care, and if need be
she wouldn't hesitate to take to the field herself and claw
Maglubiyet's beady eyes from his face to prevent him from
taking them from her.
The cosmic battle between the two pantheons has raged
for eons without resolution, leading those who study its
ebb and flow to expect the stalemate to continue. A differ-
ent view is put forth by the archmage Tzunk, who notes
that Maglubiyet has never faced a foe as ferocious and
protective as Luthic. He predicts that the war will end with
Luthic the only deity standing, as the cave mother ascends
to rule her warrior children.